


Rock vs. Laser

by jeramiahsental



Category: Spore (Video Game)
Genre: (maybe it's because I'm on Hard? I really don't know), Gen, based on a true (in-game) story, it took less than half an hour for this newly-uplifted species, on this save file!, this 1-star rank newly-uplifted species, this is the third time it's happened!, to attack a 4-star rank empire that had been there for days, why do Scientist archetype species attack anyone that has the "We like new acquaintances" rep bonus?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28067097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeramiahsental/pseuds/jeramiahsental
Summary: A spaceship captain has a talk with a new spacefaring species. One that has made a very poor decision.
Kudos: 2





	Rock vs. Laser

### 

Log Entry 2197

I, Torren, captain of the ship Adamant, representative of one of the largest empires in our arm of the galaxy, have seen many things in my thousands of years. I have witnessed empires grow from three small star systems to a massive empire spanning as much territory as our own. I have watched empires crumble and fall under the weight of their own hubris - many guided along that path by my own hand. But nothing before has left me so baffled - or incensed - as what I witnessed around thirteen days ago.

I had discovered a blue star system, Jeffaleus, with a planet in it that already had signs of advanced civilization. Much like what had occurred on my own home world between rival factions of Torren, multiple groups of Spiked Dragon battled for dominance of the planet. I knew that they had great potential, both as an empire and as an ally - not least of all because their world produced blue spice. So, I placed a monolith on their planet and went about my business, waiting for their civilization to take its course.

While I'm not sure the exact duration it took for them to become a spacefaring species, I know that I was the first to greet them into the galactic community. They seemed respectable enough, a new Scientist archetype rife with wonder about the universe they would soon be exploring to great extent. I began a trade route with them immediately, ships traveling between a nearby colony of mine and their home world, in order to ease them into the galactic scene a bit. Of course, I planned to buy their home world from them once our trade route had run its course - an easy, reliable source of blue spice is nothing to scoff about, even if it isn't the most valuable - but I had intended for that to be later down the line.

I should not have been caught unawares when things turned south.

For some requisite background information, this new empire had been uplifted amidst two that were vastly more powerful; a Trader archetype who I had allied with shortly after discovering their star cluster - and who I had defended from a hostile Warrior species not too long after that - and a Zealot empire, the Fernikki Empire, that I was hoping beyond hope would remain peaceful with the Traders. They had grown alongside one another, both into the empires they are as I record this log, and I had hope from that alone that they would continue to coexist peacefully.

So imagine my surprise - and concern - when a distress call went out from my ally that claimed they were being attacked! I skimmed through the message, finding the most pertinent information as quickly as I could - what star system, what planet, and most importantly, who the attacker was. I found it. I found it all. Then, I read through the message again, more carefully this time. My ally was being attacked... by the Spiked Dragon Empire. I could hardly believe my eyes. _What did they thing they were doing?_

Though I ordered my ship to fly to the planet under attack as quickly as necessary, I did nothing to assist either side. There was no need to help my ally defend their cities. Perhaps if it had been a weaker empire under siege, as my ally had been when I first contacted them. Perhaps if the planet under attack was one of the Terrascore-0 worlds they seemed so fond of colonizing. But this? There was no point in aiding the Spiked Dragons in their attempted conquest. After all, they had attacked the home world of a 4-star rank empire.

I sat above the planet for a time after this, pondering what to do. This new species, one I had been eager to welcome, was as violent as the worst of the empires I had destroyed. And while they did not have the means to defeat my ally, they certainly had the disposition to back it up. And if they attacked a more poorly-defended area...

Perhaps my initial impression had been misguided, or clouded by my association with this species and my involvement in its uplifting. Perhaps...

I decided that it was time I had a talk with them.

I will play a memory file of the encounter so that this record is clearer than attempting to recall it in-person. It was not a very long conversation, but accuracy is still important regardless.

* * *

My communications screen lit up, buzzing with static for several seconds before fading into a view of the emissary I had spoken with during out last few talks. There were other Spiked Dragons in the meeting room with them offscreen, of course, to "observe our conversation and record what they could learn about potential future interactions with other species." _If they make it that far,_ I thought, already somewhat suspicious of their motives. But, I knew that showing that suspicion would get us nowhere, so I forced my face to one of utter neutrality. Even if my wings twitched as they put on a pleasant smile.

The one on screen spoke in a robotic tone, their voice modulating to odd pitches as they moved from one word to the next. "We are pleased to see you again, Omnipotent Torren." I flinched at the title. _How did they learn **that**?_ "What is the purpose of this visit?"

I forced my wings to stay put as I debated how to word my inquiry, before deciding on as direct an approach as they appeared to be taking. "Tell me," I said, tilting my head down, "why did you launch an attack against Atrania? That was a very dangerous move." My tail swayed slowly behind me, hopefully not as much of an indicator of my mood as it would have been to another of my own species. "Your fleet was wiped out to the last, and if they were a more... militant empire, I have no doubt a counterattack would be on its way here right now."

They paused, tilting their head to the side, then simply said, "The way of living of their empire is illogical. It is contrary to our own." They nodded to themself. "Therefore, they must be wiped out."

Were they really trying this? I had seen very similar reasoning before, both in this star cluster and much closer to my own home planet. And I had not dealt kindly with the empires who had tried.

"You attacked the home world of a four-star rank empire," I said, frowning. "What did you hope to accomplish?"

"Yes. We did." Their smile grew, at which I bristled. "We needed to test their military strength in order to determine where our takeover efforts would be most efficient."

 _Oh, that changes things._ Perhaps they didn't understand the gravity of their offense. Or maybe they didn't know it was a grave offense in the first place.

"You attacked my ally."

That got their attention. Their smile dropped - not completely, but enough - they stood a bit straighter, and I could detect a hint of worry behind their stoic facade. The screen cut to static, but not before I saw more Spiked Dragons join them on the screen. More than had been there for our initial contact, when I first learned they had become a spacefaring civilization. It was surprising - and more than a little concerning - to see just how large of a group was watching over this meeting.

 _Maybe I was right to suspect them_ _,_ I thought, glaring. _They knew about... that **title** , and they seem to have known I would be here to meet them. _How much did they know about my alliance?

I though over it for a bit, staring at the static. They were not a Diplomat species, with their Grand Council watching over every meeting. I had watched from the inside how Scientist empires had interacted with other empires, even ones they disliked, and never had there been so many in one room as I just saw. I wasn't even sure I had seen all of them. It still may have just been poor timing on my part, and they were convening to meet about some _important scientific discovery_. But if they had attacked despite knowing...

The screen faded back to a view of the emissary before I could continue that train of thought, and I brought on as neutral a face as I could. Fittingly, they seemed to be doing the same. They remained stoic as I watched them prepare their response, and their voice was unusually even when they finally spoke.

"We did not know this," they said, bowing their head. "We will cease all current and future plans for attacks on your ally empire's star systems." They raised their head and looked directly at me. "We apologize."

I kept as even a gaze as I could, though I have no doubt they knew my continued suspicion. And anger.

"Thank you for your acknowledgement," I said, my tone cold. "I hope not to hear any more about this."

They nodded once before the communication line was severed, and I stalked away as our pilot routed a course out of the star system.

* * *

Five days later, I received another distress call; this time, it was a T0 planet near the outskirts of my ally's territory. My response... strained relationships with the Spiked Dragon Empire, to say the least. Though our trade route remained intact - barely - they will not be recovering the costs of a second destroyed fleet anytime soon.

Then again... I have learned from experience that the price of purchasing a home world is far from cheap. Ten million Sporebucks. Enough for me to fully outfit at least 25 colonial cities with every building and as many defensive turrets as possible. As much as I would love to keep that much money - money they could potentially use to attempt harm upon other species - I consider the destruction that would occur were I to attempt to take their world over by force to be too great a cost, in terms of both rebuilding and loss of spice storage capacity.

I do not believe that this course of action will lead to enough long-term harm to make the alternative more appealing. So, I will allow this trade route to run its course, and then I will buy their world out from under them. Let them live as pirates. Such is the fate they have brought upon themselves.

I, with my empire behind me, will continue to mete out justice on those who dare to attack my allies, or any fledgling spacefarers, unprovoked. For we are Knights, and through the struggles of our evolution into a spacefaring civilization, we have been shaped into weapons of justice and righteousness.

I can only hope that it is truly right.

**Author's Note:**

> So there's a very good reason that the ally the Spiked Dragon Empire attacked goes unnamed in this fic.
> 
> Because it's the Bananaz Empire.
> 
> Anyway I stayed up until 2:30 last night writing this


End file.
